Patient Assessment
What is the very first thing you do upon arrival of a first aid incident?
Look for hazards
What colour represents Minor Injury or Illness
Green
How do you treat a closed knee injury (example: torn ACL/MCL/Meniscus) list at least 2 things you would do
1. Stabilize the knee in the position of least discomfort (sometimes that means bent)
2. Wrap in compression bandage, figure 8 style
3. Ice it if needed
4. Limit further movement - assist person with walking or carry them out if needed
What is the Compressions to Ventilations ratio for CPR?
30 compression : 2 ventilations
What are 3 potential symptoms of smoke inhalation?
- shortness of breath
- coughing/wheezing/sore throat/hoarseness
- chest pain
- headache
- dizziness and confusion
- fainting
- seizures
If the patient isn't responding to your voice, what do you do next?
Perform a trap squeeze (or any other reasonable (pain stimulus) to see if they:
1. Respond to pain by vocalizing
2. Respond to pain by moving
What does the colour Red represent for the M.E.R in terms of patient condition?
A life or limb threatening injury.
Example: Deadly bleed, spinal injury, suspected internal injuries, pelvic fracture, airway burns
When is the one time you can move a patient without stabilizing their head, even though you suspect a spinal injury?
if they have no pulse
(If unresponsive but with a faint pulse and not breathing effectively, likely still move them fast but try to be gentle with the neck)
What do you do when the AED says "analyzing"?
Stop CPR. Feel for a pulse. (If no shock advised and still no pulse, resume CPR)
How do you know if someone has heat stroke vs heat exhaustion?
Patient with heat stroke is no longer sweating
How do you check someone's airway if they are unconscious (not responding to you)?
1. tilt head back or do a jaw thrust
2. listen for gurgling/snoring, and look at chest to see if it is moving (are they breathing?)
Can also look in mouth to see if there is any foreign body airway obstruction (were they choking on fireline snacks?)
What colour would a concussion and moderate burns be classified as?
Yellow (Serious Injury or illness)
How do you know if someone needs Spinal Motion Restriction? (Meaning they need their head to be stabilized, and will need to have a collar put on) 2 points
- Neck and/or back pain and/or difficulty moving neck
- Mechanism of Injury like a blow to the head or a fall from >20 ft, or significant Motor Vehicle Incident (MVI) = roll-over, collision at 60km/hr+, thrown occupant, major vehicle damage
- Decreased LOC with symptoms of concussion and/or significant trauma
What is the most important thing you need to do after putting a tourniquet on someone? (after making sure the bleeding has stopped)
Mark the time that the tourniquet was applied
How long does epinephrine last in the patient’s system?
15 minutes on average (peak at 5-10 mins, can sometimes last as long as 30 mins)
What are 6 key vitals you need to take after doing your primary assessment and transport decision?
1. Level of Consciousness - AVPU
2. Skin condition (pale, red or normal?, hot, warm or cold? dry or clammy?)
3. Heart Rate (HR)
4. Respiratory Rate (RR)
5. SPO2 %
6. Pupils (concussion?)
Bonus:
- Temperature
- Capillary refill
What are the different kinds of extraction methods you can request? (list the 2 main ones)
1. Not required
2. Heli (Hoist/Class D)
3. Heli (Helipad/helispot)
4. Other: ____ ((maybe a confined space rescue team, diving team, cave rescue...etc))
What causes "flail chest" and how do you stabilize it?
Broken ribs. Have patient hold blanket or bulky dressings over the flail segment to stabilize.
How to treat second degree (partial thickness) burns?
1. Cool the burn (cool water for 15-20 mins)
2. Do not pop blisters
3. apply cooling gel and antibiotic cream
4. cover with sterile, non-stick gauze
How do you treat smoke inhalation?
1. Get out of the smoke
2. High-flow oxygen
What are the next 3 steps after assessing a patients ABC's?
1. Rapid Body Survey
2. Critical interventions (control bleeding, cool burns, give oxygen, stabilize fractures.. etc)
3. call in a M.E.R and package patient
What determines whether a patient is UNSTABLE? (hint: RED category for the M.E.R)
They have compromised ABCs (Airway, Breathing or Circulation) and LOC (level of consciousness - for example confused or not responding to you)
and/or: Deadly bleed (not controlled by direct pressure)and/or: Spinal injury
and/or: pelvic fracture
and/or: airway burns
If you’re doing a rapid body survey and you feel that the patients pelvis is unstable, what should you do?
Fun bonus question: why can an unstable pelvis be so dangerous?
Stabilize the pelvis with 3 triangle bandages.
Slide them under the hollow part of the back then shimmy them down to the center centre of the pelvic bones / top of the hip bone before tightening.
Bonus: unstable pelvis can often mean internal bleeding within that area, where large arteries are present. Stabilizing the pelvis can slow down or stop this internal hemorrhaging.
Describe what kind of dressing you would put on someone that has a puncture wound to the chest?
3 sided occlusive dressing (to let air out but not into the lungs)
Why are airway burns so dangerous? (automatically RED category, even if patient seems stable)
They can rapidly cause swelling and obstruction of airway and impair oxygen delivery. They also increase risk of infection and systemic toxicity.